[Wyvern]

The purple Lucain was relieved to see Aesop appearing to be relatively unharmed. He nodded gently before taking a brief bow. "My name is Asmodai, and I am glad to hear you are fine. But if you ever hurt or need any help to traverse the upcoming forest roads, I can be of assistance." His ears perked up attentively, before quickly glancing up towards the nearby hill, wondering what happened to his companion. He was suddenly away from them, after all.

"I came here alongside with my... friend... Pandora. She seems to be already making acquaintances, I see." Asmodai's tone of voice, even though he was serious, he rather appear to enjoy the bit of socializing that he and Pandora have gotten. It is true that he wasn't great at making new connections in general, even small talk was difficult to him. He was about to speak up, but his little mouth stood half-open as he was intrigued by... a strange sensation? And he wasn't alone on that, as the other Lucain seemed to pick up on it as well.

Meanwhile, Pandora on the other hand... she was always up to strike a chat, even with total strangers.

"Hehe, you know, you are right! I was um, making sure my fuzzy purple friend over there wasn't wandering off too far. I can see that he's just making new friends!" The Shinzo was clearly full of excitement, so much so that she couldn't help but try to wave at Asmodai, trying to get his attention.

"Hey! Woo-hoo!" She waved and fluttered about, with the map in one of her hands. "I'm glad you're finally talking to others for once, hee-hee. But weren't you the one trying to hurry me up?" Pandora was trying to tease at the purple Lucain, though perhaps others like Jordan may find her behavior  a little too upfront. She could definitely be a little sassy, but always tried not to border over being pushy on purpose. For what little time she and Asmodai have known each other, they were both well aware of their humour, or rather, lack thereof, in the case of the Lucain.

[Austen]

If Dianthis had been a little less intent on her spying mission, she would have scoffed at the fact that the bright green of the form she took could be missed. She wasn't exactly blending into the foliage, was she? But the Common Leawolf was the Territory Queen's Master of the Guard, albeit in an nondescript, inconspicuous form. A spy could not look too terrifying. Unremarkable was what Dianthis had been aiming for, even her name was designed to blend in with her current looks. The Dianthus was a harmless flower, and that was the image she was trying to project.

She had trained extensively in her new form, of course, to be certain of her reflexes, but was taking care to try to hide her training. A harmless Flower of Zeus was hardly likely to be the confident fighter that her true self was. Well, not unless she was fending off Zeus himself. That god did have the very tendency to want to sex up everything in sight, which was quite the opposite of the way she was wired.

[zapdragon555]

Cerys
^{["Human" Form]
@Moofius}

Ah—near instantly, even with his often less-than-ideal social skills, Cerys could tell he’d reacted rudely. It was just—it wasn’t something he was used to hearing, though given it was clearly a medical condition of some kind (he supposed?) he ought to have taken it in stride. He was a doctor, after all. He’d seen all manner of conditions in all manner of people. But... that did explain why she kept her eyes covered with that cloth, for more reasons than just to protect them from a light she couldn’t see.

He felt bad. He really did, but he wasn’t sure he should say anything more about it, instead taking her likely purely-polite reply as an end to that topic. Yet even so he stewed softly in it... and tried his best to relate to her with his own impaired sight.

Pity, huh...?

“I’m not fond of pity, either. I suppose some part of me wants understanding, you know... not—not really for my lost eyesight. For... o-other things, though,” he stammered slightly, uncomfortable. The vampirism, and the... well, he’d... he’d been ‘alive’ long enough now that it wasn’t so bad of a sting anymore, the other transformation he’d underwent with the help of his mentor and her powerful magics and surgery. “And I don’t think pity is an appropriate response for your situation, either. You are exactly who you are, and you get on well, clearly. No one is completely self sufficient, sight or no sight... though. I do wish the world were a little kinder to those born differently.”

That went for all sorts of things. Evelon seemed... in many ways, more tolerant than the continents that Damon and he had hailed from. Physical differences, humans and nonhumans, none of it seemed to bother the general population here... but he still felt cagey about it. He still held his tongue about it, about all of it, and rationalized it as not being the sort of thing one told a stranger about. That mentality suited him just fine. But Neimah was pleasant, and offering him much about herself. This... was how socialization worked, wasn’t it...?

Not that he’d really know. But he did smile, and even chuckle warmly at her comment—not being able to imagine sight. “I don’t suppose it would be just as strange in some way for you to suddenly grow an eyeball? I feel like that would be traumatic. And weird, indeed. As you are, though, not weird at all.” It was friendly, and genuine, despite the slight nervousness in his chest. He liked this... socializing. But he felt he wasn’t any good at it at all. Damon wasn’t any better, but at least his failure seemed effortless and uncaring, whereas Cerys tried too much and ended up with a metaphorical foot in his mouth half the time.

He’d not much to say about community. The two of them... they’d had companions. Living in one spot for some five years or so, a mere blip of time, neighbors tended to become friendly. Yet they always ended up moving on, eventually... shallow-rooted things, too long-lived for most to relate to, or understand. But being trusted... and the good, and frankly bad feelings that came with it, he knew good and plenty about that. But he kept his well-meaning hesitancy to himself. Well, it feels good if you succeed. And sometimes you don’t. He merely made a sound of soft agreement, nodding, and hoping Neimah would never have to encounter a situation like that.

She would, though. It would be difficult to find a doctor who never, ever failed.

Ah, his hat. The distraction was welcome to steer him from the perhaps unwanted advice that was brewing on his tongue, and he clapped it down on his head with a wince. The sun was bright and warm on the ground, no longer interrupted by trees here. He needed to be careful... and silence would help him focus. Yet... he was curious. To a fault, even. Deeply so... and...

...and if Neimah indeed was something other than human... maybe Cerys could confide in her, and have an extra set of... ...well. Not eyes, but... an extra person nearby to, if not help him avoid the sun, at least know the risks of what was going on. Somehow, that made him feel better.

Her answer did bristle him ever so slightly, not so much hostility but a small flash of panic. He jerked his head over his shoulder, then back forward, blinking one eye owlishly large as he considered it. But indeed... no one was around them, not in their immediate vicinity. He murmured affirmation and nodded, clearing his throat and pausing at the second half of Neimah’s question. “For myself... I wouldn’t assume such a thing. Where... where I came from, as a younger person, well... that wasn’t the case. As a result it’s...” Careful. Careful, now... though... maybe he didn’t need to be. “...it’s hard to open up, I suppose. Hard to trust that in some places, it’s different.”

It rapidly became clear that he’d been correct in his quiet assumption. Not only that... he was receiving information about this land in droves, in only a few sentences. Seraphim... that sounded like the kind of thing that would burn Cerys to ashes if it knew of the fangs inside his mouth. The atmosphere between Cerys and his temporary traveling companion had shifted. It was sobered, moreso now, and he stood to attention and listened, squinting against the breeze. Chaos... devils...

Something in Cerys’ face softened near immediately, though it flashed with anxiety again, a small distressed sound escaping him, as she labeled him... correctly, near immediately. It was just—Damon and he... they... they liked to pretend, sometimes, that Cerys was very much alive. Your heart is racing, love—what’s got you all flustered? Such tender little affirming nothings, though no heart beat in his chest. It was easy to forget when Damon treated him so humanly, so—

“Ghk!—” Cerys’ thoughts were cut by the sudden light smack directly to the bone of his ankle—anywhere else wouldn’t have hurt, really, and he bit back the curse that almost leapt out of him, wondering... wondering, then, how on earth she... knew.

Then again... it was humans that usually lacked the ability to do so. So if she was, as she said, something called a ‘Chaos’... then perhaps her senses for that kind of thing were heightened.

“...what gave it away?” he asked quietly, hesitant and whispered as he took another moment to glance back down the path, then up the path. A good bit of space on all sides of them. Safety... relative safety. “...you’re right. I’m no ghost, though I suppose I’m about as reclusive as one sometimes. Ahh... I’m...” He sniffed. Cleared his throat, as though having to prepare to speak a language foreign to him, needing to piece it together in his head beforehand.

“I’ve... been a. A vampire, for some long time now. Ah... I’m. Still getting used to it, even so. Hah... a hundred some-odd years, and still... um,” Cerys’ voice shrank the longer he spoke, until it was little more than breath from his lips. He shook his head to clear it, feeling a wash of nerves chill him. “I-it’s... I don’t... I. I don’t... drink... human blood. O-or—or Chaos. Or... well, anyone’s now except—” He swallowed, his face suddenly a dusty shade of ashen red, as much as a thing like him could blush. Damon wasn’t human, not at all, but he was human enough—half—for it to be just a bit more sustaining for him than the wild animals he’d fed from and patched back up for his whole life. There was a terror in his spine, rigidity unbreaking, as he stared at Neimah with his one eye and watched for a reaction. He could... always turn back, if things went sour. If he found himself the subject of her ire or distrust, he could easily disappear. Easily.

Aesop
^{[Lucain Form]
@Wyvern | @Austen}

Hat properly sat atop his doggy head now, Aesop turned his attentions half to his newfound acquaintance and half to that strange presence in the weeds some ways off down the hill. His ear flicked, and Aesop’s eyes flickered with a smile, white teeth showing in what was certainly not a sign of canine friendliness, but rather a human un-used to wearing a canine skin. “That’s kind of you, Asmodai! I’m always happy to have a traveling partner. Or... er... someone who doesn’t mind the odd tag-along-er,” he added, sheepish, as he peered over in the direction of one such ‘Pandora.’ Interesting name, that one...

Aesop’s eyes flickered a little wider as he spotted the flames coming off of her as she seemed to grow excited in talking to a human. A small bristle ran up his spine, tails flicking and slapping on the ground, but he bit it back with a small, tittering chuckle. “Aha... well, fire has a way of spreading quickly, hm? Bright personalities, too,” he spoke with an edge of discomfort, but not so much that it quenched his general sense of ease. His tone was genuine, at least, as he turned back to the other Lucain.

Ah. So Asmodai had noticed something, too. Aesop’s eyes flicked to the brush, his ears angling in that direction, then looked back to the other canine with a small dip of his snout and a sniff. “So you sense something’s off as well?” he murmured, voice lower and whispered as he stood, shaking a back paw out that had gotten a bit twisted in his fall. “Do you suppose we should look into it? It’d be a pity if something wanted to interrupt this pleasant outing. For the others’ sake. What do you say?”

If this presence, this intent, had anything to do with the mystical object that Aesop’s internal compass was swinging wildly towards... then he’d do well to see it, and sniff it out. Literally, this time. And it always helped to have backup.

[Moofius]

[Neimah: Human Disguise]

She was careful with her expressions. partially because she didn't want to assume any of his, and partially because she knew hers did not always translate well. She could see the movement of eyes and lips; a grin or a frown or a furrowed brow. Smaller, subtler emotions like confusion or dread were... harder to mimic or read. So when she was feeling something complex she tried to keep it off her untrustworthy and untrained face.

"Nothing anyone else would notice," She said, lifting her free hand to tap her nose this time, "heat pits. Like a snake? I read body heat, and you have none. Even invisible things have body heat." She set her hand over her cane, "Objects and the undead? Not so much. Unless they're baking in the sun." Which a vampire would avoid.

He was acting strange though. His voice was unsure and nearly upset.
"You're fine. Drink whatever you need to live." She said easily, even if preying on sapient things was always a strange topic. She needed dweller to live, and they certainly acted sapient if they weren't actually so.
"I'm not about to label you a monster, Doctor Cerys, you can relax. Though we'll keep our species to ourselves, hmm? Not everyone knows about our kind and less seem to see as as nuanced individuals. The Gods would strike us both down no matter how many people we save, hmm?" At this she finally smiled, and there was something bitter and angry in the set of her teeth. Not directed at Cerys though as she gave him a gentler tap on the thigh to encourage they start walking again.

"Sorry if I'm a bit rough with you," She said finally as she scanned the path ahead as the trees started to open up, "I've always been a blind monster, and you've had to adapt to it... It's two people arriving at a similar point in very different ways. I'm not an expert but... Are you going to be alright in this part of the walk?" She asked, trying to take on the practical problem of the sun before they would dive into the topic of their monstrous natures. If that was something Cerys really wanted, anyway.
"I assume so, but if you need help from me let me know. I should be fine." She said, not needing to look away from him as she tapped an raised root that was being hit by full sun. The little bit of shade it cast created a slight dip in temperature she could detect with her own senses.
"I didn't mean to pry, but you put me somewhat on the spot back there. Non-humans can be benign or dangerous, so if we stop playing pretend it's curtesy to let the other know." She offered as way of explanation.

It wasn't uncommon for a group of non-humans to find each other in a crowd and, unless there's a reason for hostility, ignore each other and disperse. That's when you knew you were dealing with a seraphim, you just had a blade at your throat. Or so Neimah had been told.

---

[Jordan: Human Form]

It seemed they would be waiting to see what the other canine people would be doing on this trip. Not that he minded, though he did wonder how he'd attached himself to a group and their needs so quickly. He was such a doormat, even Coziel said so.
"I'm glad to see people joining the hike. I was thinking about not coming, but I'm already having fun," He said, hoping that this was fun. This was fun, right? There wasn't anything dangerous happening and he didn't need to think so hard. Just go out and enjoy the day. Simple. Easy! Making friends seemed like a cool thing to do too! Something to aim for, right? Something that just came so naturally and easily to everyone.

OhGodwhywashespiralingaboutmakingfriends? Snap out of it! You're basically an adult, Jordan, this has to be a well established social skill. Just... be friendly and participate in the walk and the conversation!
"Are they plotting? They look like they're plotting." He said, without really thinking about it. That was pretty accusatory, Jordan. Were you RACIST against lucain?!
"Er not like... Evil plotti- Like discussing something? Er, should we go over and see what they're up to? ... In a friendly way!" He added, maybe a little louder than a guilt free person should.

[Wyvern]

"Plotting, huh?" Pandora let out a little giggle, not quite meaning to make fun of Jordan's strange assumption. She rather found it amusing. "Ah! I bet they're trying to take a shortcut... or something! I... don't know, really." The Shinzo quickly glanced over at the young man, before looking back at the two Lucain who were chatting away at the lower elevation.

She smiled with her eyes closed, before starting to play around with the map between her hands. "Well, if they're trying to go off elsewhere on the trail, they're probably going to need this, don't 'cha think?" Pandora spoke up a little loud, hopefully loud enough for the two canine creatures to listen.

Asmodai simply pondered, unsure how to proceed. Should he follow their gut instinct and try to look for the possible threat to warn the others? Or maybe try not to stray away from the group, any further that they already have by now? And he could hear Pandora trying to get their attention. "Hmm. I would like to discuss with my... uh..." He turned to see an excited Shinzo up the hill, map being waved about in their claws. "Friend. Yes. They do have the map to the trail, after all. I wouldn't want to get lost, given that I do not have much knowledge of this area."